Seven Dreams
by flawlessaccola
Summary: April and Jackson have never met. April works in Seattle Grace, Jackson works in Mercy West, and they're both happy with their jobs. Until one night, they meet. In their dreams. For seven nights they dream of each other, and fall in love. But what happens when the dreams stop? Will they meet in the waking world, or should they forget about each other and move on?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: _I really wanted to start a new story, and I knew it had to be a couple from Grey's. My first and obvious thought was Slexie, but that was too painful. Plus I realized that what I really want is to write about Japril. So after an hour of searching the Internet for good plot ideas, I wrote the first chapter. I really don't know how all of my fellow Japril shippers will like it, but I like it. So I hope you do, too. Have fun reading it. I had fun writing it. Xoxo_

* * *

April had never been to a psychiatrist before. She had needed it before because her life can get stressful, but God usually helped her through the tough times. But this time was different. This time she was sure she had gone insane.

She was sitting in a comfortable chair and the psychiatrist was staring at her. She couldn't see it, because she was looking at her hands on her lap, but she could feel it. And it was really uncomfortable and awkward. She didn't know why she had come here. She would have felt better if she had just gone to the chapel and prayed. But she couldn't change it now.

„We've been sitting here for ten minutes. I think it would be better for you if you talked about what's bothering you," the psychiatrist said. Dr Wyatt, April remembered. That was her name.

April thought it hadn't really been an appropriate thing to say. The woman was a psychiatrist so she should know that saying something like that isn't what a patient wants to hear. April wasn't a psychiatrist, but she was a surgeon, so she knew how to properly talk to patients.

But oddly enough, it worked. She started talking. „I'm probably going insane. I've had sort of a recurring dream the past two nights. I keep seeing the same guy and we usually just hang out, have dinner, go to the movies. Go on normal dates. And in my dreams, I'm falling in love with him. And that would probably be fine, because people have strange dreams all the time. Except this doesn't go away. I wake up and I know for sure that he is real. That I'm in a relationship, that I will see him as soon as I get out of the bed. And then I remember that it was a dream, but the feeling doesn't go away."

April finished talking. She wanted to keep going, keep talking about her imaginary lover, but she had said enough already. She looked at Dr Wyatt for a second and then turned her head to look out of the window.

„You haven't gone insane. It's normal for the human brain to make up a scenario while you're asleep, and it's also normal to feel like your dream life is real. You're not the only person who has felt this, and you won't be the last. This probably means that you need a steady relationship in your life."

April listened to the psychiatrist, and it made sense, but it also didn't make sense at all. Because she knew that this wasn't the case for her.

But before she could say anything, April's pager went off so she quickly stood up from the chair and took her lab coat from the clothes rack where she had put it. „I have to go. They need me in the ER."

* * *

April had just come out of a surgery and it was late. She would have gone home, but it was so late and she was too tired to drive. Besides she had to be in the hospital early in the morning anyway so she just went to one of the on call rooms to sleep. At first she walked into a room with Derek and Meredith. Luckily they were actually asleep. Not.. _Busy_. She quietly closed the door and went to another room that was empty and closed the door behind her. She fell asleep right after she got on the bed.

* * *

April opened her eyes. She wasn't in the on call room anymore. She was in a light beige room, and the bed she was in was really comfortable. But the best part about it was the amazing guy sleeping next to her. Jackson. April smiled lightly and said Jackson's name. Jackson only made a grunting noise and kept sleeping. April shook her head lightly and got out of the bed to make coffee. She put on a robe and walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She let out a yawn and got a mug out of the cupboard.

By the time she had finished making two cups of coffee, Jackson had walked into the kitchen and kissed April on her forehead. „Good morning."

„Good morning. I made coffee." April pushed one mug towards Jackson and then took the other mug and sat behind the kitchen table.

But as soon as April had sat down, she heard a weird beeping sound. It didn't fit into the kitchen and she gave Jackson a questioning look. After a second she started to feel like she knew the beeping sound, but it still didn't feel right.

After a few more seconds, it finally clicked.

* * *

April woke up to the sound of her pager. She felt a bit frustrated because her dream was interrupted, but she quickly shook it off and got out of the bed.

She must be going insane, because this had been the third night she had seen Jackson in her dreams and this time she was sure she was in love with him. But how could she be in love with a dream?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: _I decided that since I really enjoy writing this story, I'll try to post a new chapter every week. And I really will try to do that, but since I'm only human, and really busy, it might take me longer sometimes. Also I didn't choose an exact day for a new chapter, because I never know which days I'll be busy._

_Also I want to apologize in advance for the misspellings that might occur in this chapter. English isn't my native language and I started writing this chapter around 2 am at night while watching the Oscar Gala._

* * *

Jackson woke up in the middle of the night. The last thing he remembered was that April had looked at him weirdly, but he didn't know why. _It was a dream_, he kept telling himself as he rolled over to check the time. 5:22 am. He could still sleep for an hour longer but he wasn't tired anymore.

These dreams had been going on for a few nights, and being awake didn't seem real to him anymore. Dreams felt real. April felt real. But she wasn't. She couldn't be.

He sat up on the bed. He couldn't sleep anyway so he might as well wake up right now. Jackson stood and walked to the kitchen to make coffee. He grabbed the first mug from the cupboard. It looked exactly like the one April had handed him in the dream.

* * *

After he had finished drinking his coffee, Jackson quickly washed his mug and headed off to work. He knew he would be there a bit early, but it didn't matter. He was a surgeon. Arriving 10 minutes early to the hospital wasn't a bad thing, it was actually good.

Walking into the hospital, Jackson realised again that this is his real life. He was a surgeon. He was single. He was popular. He couldn't really complain about any aspect of his life because his life was good. But just thinking about April made him realise everything he's missing.

But Jackson quickly shook it off and walked into the residents' lounge. He wasn't the only one there, so the other residents had either been there even earlier than Jackson or they had had the night shift. Jackson smiled at his friends and started a conversation, forgetting about his dream life for a while.

* * *

It had been a good day. Jackson had scrubbed in on a plastic surgery, helping a fire victim restore her face. He liked that part about plastic surgery. It felt good to help people come through traumas.

But now he was tired. Jackson took the keys from his pocket, opened the apartement door and stepped in. He stopped at the kitchen door for a second to stare at the fridge. He was really hungry. But he was also really tired. He would probably fall asleep behind the kitchen table. So instead of getting food, Jackson walked into his bedroom. He fell asleep seconds after his face hit his pillow.

* * *

Jackson opened his eyes. He looked around the room for a second and then his eyes fell on April. And he smiled. April was still asleep, and she looked so peaceful. Her auburn locks were messy and she was sleeping in a weird position, but Jackson loved that. He loved seeing April in the morning, before she had had time to comb her hair or do her make up. She looked beautiful.

Jackson knew that if April had woken up earlier, she would have waken him, too, but he could never wake her. She always looked so peaceful when she was asleep. So instead he quietly stood up and walked into the kitchen. He and April usually ate together in the morning, but since she was still asleep, Jackson made some sandwiches and then went to the living room to watch TV.

After a while, April walked into the living room. She looked as if she was still sleeping.

„Good morning," April muttered and sat on the couch next to Jackson. She looked at one of Jackson's sandwiches for a few seconds and then raised her eyebrows. Jackson gave it to her and she took a bite.

„So how did you sleep?" Jackson asked, putting his arm around April.

„Good, I think. I don't remember any dreams," April said and took another bite. „So what are we going to do today?"

Jackson looked outside. It was a perfect weather. The sky was blue and cloudless, the sun was shining. „I thought we could have a picnic."

April turned her head to look out of the window and then looked at Jackson. „I think it's a great idea."

Jackson smiled at April. He had known she would like the idea. He kissed her forehead and stood up. „We should start getting ready. Right now is a great time for an outside picnic."

Jackson looked at April and saw her nod. He smiled and took her hand. They walked into the bathroom side by side to brush their teeth and then hanged their clothes. After 15 minutes they were both ready to leave.

April and Jackson smiled at each other and stepped out of the house. Jackson was carrying a picnic basket and he could hear birds chirping. It was a perfect warm spring morning. Jackson turned his head to look at April and saw April smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile back. He was definitely really lucky. He kissed April and put his arm around her.

After ten minutes of walking, April and Jackson got to the park. Since it was still early, the park was almost empty, except for a few children on the playground. The couple headed for a separated spot they had found two days ago. It was super beautiful and quiet. You couldn't even hear anyone else.

Jackson put down the picnic basket and sat down on the grass. He had forgotten to bring a blanket, but since the grass was dry, it didn't matter. April sat down next to him and they started taking the food out of the basket. Everything was perfect.

Their picnic lasted for hours simply because they couldn't bring themselves to leave. Everything was idyllic. The leaves were light green with blossoms. The birds were chirping. And from time to time you could hear the children laughing on the playground or their parents' voices while they were talking about their work or personal lives. But it didn't bother them. Nothing could ruin their picnic.

Morning soon became afternoon, and then evening, and soon they could see the sunset. It felt good to watch the sunset with April. She was the only person he would want to share this with.

After the sun had set, Jackson and April started walking back home. It took a while because their pace was slow. They couldn't stop staring at the stars. At this moment, Jackson felt small compared to the universe, but looking at April, he felt infinite. He loved her so much.

The last thing Jackson thought before falling asleep was that the day had been perfect. And he was happy he could share it with April.

He fell asleep.

* * *

Jackson opened his eyes. He knew the picnic had been a dream. But how did it feel so real?


	3. Chapter 3

April woke up in the morning and thought back to the dream. It had been the fourth night in a row where she dreamt of Jackson. And every morning she woke up feeling happy. This morning wasn't an exception, if anything, she felt even happier because last night's dream had been a really good one. The picnic wasn't anything special, but she had loved it. And she really wished it was real.

April got out of the bed and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. It was a Saturday morning and she didn't have to go to work. For most people not going to work on Saturday would be normal, but for April it felt weird. But she wasn't complaining because she really needed a day off. She needed to think through all of the dreams, she needed to realise what they meant. And she needed to talk to a friend.

April finished eating the sandwiches she had made and thought of people she could call. Most of her friends were at work today but she remembered Lexie had mentioned she had a day off. April wasn't super close with Lexie, but they were friends, and she knew she could trust the brunette.

April picked up her phone and dialled Lexie's number. After a few seconds, Lexie picked up.

„Hey, Lexie. It's April," April started. „I was wondering that since you have a day off, maybe you'd like to have lunch or something."

„Yeah, sure. I'm kind of busy right now, but I could meet you at Joe's around 2 p.m."

„That sounds great. I'll see you then. Bye," April replied and hung up.

* * *

April was sitting behind a table alone, waiting for Lexie. A guy had already flirted with her but she quickly found a reason to ditch the guy. She didn't really have a good reason why she hadn't even given him a chance because he looked like a decent guy, but it would have felt like she was cheating on Jackson. Even though she knew he couldn't be anything but a dream.

It hit April again that she probably really needed help.

But the thought was interrupted once Lexie arrived. She was wearing a beautiful A-line dress and April raised an eyebrow. „I doubt you dressed up to meet me in a bar. Were you on a date?"

„Yeah. It was actually a quick spontaneous fancy date because Mark's surgery was postponed and he didn't have anything to do. And since the restaurant isn't far from here, I decided not to go home so I had no choice but to wear this dress," Lexie replied and sat down opposite April.

April looked at Lexie for a second. „I guess we won't order any food then, since you already ate," April said. She wasn't really hungry either. „I need to tell you something."

Lexie rested her hands on the table. „I'm listening."

April opened her mouth to start talking but nothing came out. She didn't really know how to explain everything to the brunette. She took a deep breath and began talking. „I've been having these dreams. For the past four nights. About a guy named Jackson," April started and explained everything to Lexie. It had been difficult to start, but once she had begun talking, it was hard to stop. She explained everything and Lexie listened. She felt like she was crazy, but it was good to have someone who listened to what she had to say.

Once April finished talking, she looked at Lexie for a few seconds. „I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going crazy. It feels so real."

„You're not crazy, April. These dreams could mean a lot of things. Maybe your brain is subconsciously telling you to find someone. To go on dates."

„Dating would make me feel guilty. Before you got here, a guy came to me and started flirting but my subconscious mind told me not to go along with it because I would be cheating on Jackson. Although I knew Jackson wasn't real."

Lexie tilted her head. „Maybe what you're seeing in your dreams is your future. It has happened before, you know. People dreaming about their future. Maybe you're a fortune-teller and you just didn't know about it until now."

April raised an eyebrow at Lexie. „Okay, I'm not the one who's crazy, you are," April said with a laugh. „I doubt I'm a fortune-teller." But secretly April thought that it would be amazing. She didn't care about being a fortune-teller, but she wanted her dreams to become reality.

* * *

April was sitting on the couch, watching TV. Nothing was really on so she just flipped through different channels. She had nothing better to do. She had just finished eating dinner and she was waiting until it was time to go to sleep. She just couldn't help but want to go to bed already because she wanted to dream about Jackson. But it was still too early and she wasn't really tired. So she kept flipping through channels to keep herself occupied until it was time for bed.

Soon she found a movie about doctors so she decided to watch it. And after the movie was over, it was time to sleep. Each night April felt more excited going to bed than the day before. She knew she had fallen in love with a dream, but she couldn't help it.

* * *

April was sitting behind a table in a fancy restaurant. She had a plate full of food in front of her and a glass of fizzy water in her hand. She had never drunk sparkling water from a glass so extravagant, not even in a restaurant. Jackson was sitting so close to her and April felt genuinely happy. She took bites from her food and the taste was amazing. She kept smiling at Jackson.

„I'm so lucky to have you," Jackson told April, after a few more bites of food. April's smile grew wider.

„I'm the lucky one here," she said and touched Jackson's hand. Jackson grabbed April's hand and kissed it.

„Would you dance with me?" Jackson asked. April looked around and saw that no one else was dancing, even though there was a live band and a special area for dancing.

„No one else is dancing."

„We don't have to do what everyone else does," Jackson replied and reached for April's hand, standing up. April took his hand and Jackson pulled her up, putting his hand around April. April felt happy.

A few steps and they were at the dance area. Jackson turned himself so he was facing April. April put her hands around Jackson's neck. Jackson put his hands on April's waist and pulled her closer, his face in April's hair. April put her head on Jackson's shoulder for a few seconds, trying to hide the fact she was smiling like a complete idiot, but after a few more seconds she looked into Jackson's eyes. That moment made her forget that they were in a restaurant, surrounded by talking and laughing people. She felt like the world consisted of her and Jackson only, and she couldn't have been happier.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: _Okay, I know it has been way too long, and I apologize! March and April were crazy busy, and so are May and June, but I didn't want to keep everyone waiting for longer (plus I needed some happy Japril myself!). The next one will be up sometime after the end of my exam period in the other half of June! I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Jackson stood behind psychiatrist door, staring at the name tag. He knew for sure he was going crazy and needed help, but he couldn't bring himself to go inside. That would mean actually admitting that he was crazy. And even though he realised the dreams were weird, and he was out of his mind, he didn't want anyone else to know. He didn't want to admit it, but he cared about other people's opinion of him way more than he should have.

So instead of going inside, instead of getting help, Jackson turned away. Instead he walked straight to the main door and left. He heard people calling for him, but he didn't care. He couldn't stay or he would have lost his mind. And they couldn't punish him because he wasn't on call.

Jackson didn't live near the hospital – it was a thirty minute walk home – but he ignored his car in the parking lot. He needed to relieve his stress, so he decided to jog home. He hoped running could get his mind off of everything, but it didn't work. Nothing would work. He was deep inside this mess and he couldn't get out. He didn't want out.

He wanted April. He wanted to lie down next to her, cook for her, take walks in the park, do normal stuff that normal couples do. And he did get to do that with her. But none of it was normal.

Everything felt heightened to him in his dreams, and his waking life was dull. If someone asked him to paint a picture of the two worlds, his waking life was different shades of grey while the dream life he shared with April was vibrant colours. April was vibrant.

For a second, Jackson had the worst thought. _What if the dreams stop?_ He wouldn't be able to go on the same way anymore.

Jackson had always had a good life. He was from a successful family, and even though he was the pretty boy of the family, the one no one had high hopes for, he proved everyone wrong. He succesfully graduated from med school and he was one of the best residents at Mercy West Hospital. He had a lot of friends and a good life. He had never felt like he was missing anything.

Not until five days ago. The dreams had lasted for only five days, but they had already changed Jackson's view on everything. He couldn't see his life the same way anymore. He couldn't picture a happy life without April.

Before Jackson even realised, he had reached his home. He took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He could feel the emptiness of the apartment as soon as he stepped inside, and he desperately wished April was here right now.

He looked at the clock. 9 pm. Good enough to go to bed.

* * *

Jackson experienced his dreams as if they were real life. The first few hours were boring and the only thing he did was sit around watching TV. That wasn't what he wanted to do, but he seemed to have little control over what was happening right now. He didn't even realise he didn't want to watch TV. He had a weird feeling in his gut that this isn't what he was supposed to be doing, but he ignored it.

After a while he heard a knock on the door and he almost jumped up. It had to be April. Jackson ran to the corridor, opened the door and a huge smile crept on his face. April smiled at him, her curls loosely falling on her shoulders. She was his true love. She made him happy. After a few seconds of just smiling at each other, Jackson stepped closer to April to lose the distance between them, and then kissed her. It was a quick, soft kiss, but Jackson didn't pull away. Instead he took April in his arms and held her, quietly closing the door behind her. He was still holding his arm around her when they walked to the living room.

„What would you like to do tonight?" Jackson asked as he looked at April. At that moment he would have done anything April asked. Anything.

„I was thinking that maybe we should just stay home," April responded, sitting down on the couch and pulling Jackson down with her. „I'm just tired. We could order food, watch movies, and just talk. –Or you could make dinner."

„I could do that," Jackson said as he stood up, kissing April on the forehead. „We don't have a lot of food, but I could make lasagna."

Jackson found the ingredients and looked at April for approval. As April nodded, Jackson started making the dish. Not a lot of people knew this about him, but he had always enjoyed cooking. There was something calming about it.

Lasagna was an easy meal to make so it didn't take him long to put it in the oven. As he was doing that, April quietly walked up to Jackson and put her arms around his waist, resting her face on his back.

„I'm so lucky to have you," she whispered quietly and squeezed before letting go so Jackson could turn around. As Jackson faced April and took her hands, he gazed into her eyes and knew. Today was the night. He would do it.

„Could you please pour out two glasses of champagne? I have to get something from the bedroom," Jackson told April as he let go of her hands and walked to the bedroom. It was right there on the top shelf in the farthest corner. He grabbed it and went back to the living room.

„April," he started quietly, making April raise her eyebrows and then gasp for air as he got down on one knee. „I know this is crazy. We haven't known each other for a long time, but it feels like forever. And I know that you're the person I want to spend my life with. It will always be you. I love you, April. So damn much. Will you marry me?"

At first there was no response, but after a few seconds April managed to gather herself and whisper: „Yes!" She pulled Jackson up and said more loudly: „Yes, Jackson, yes, I will marry you!"

Jackson couldn't help but smile and it was the biggest smile he had ever had on his face.


End file.
